Junctions
Taking the second exit at a mini roundabout
A mini roundabout still has a real hazard at it - the painted circle marks a path to steer around, and the traffic from the right is the same judgement call as a full-size roundabout.
This video has no narration. Follow the written steps below.
Practical test
Why it matters
Mini roundabouts test whether you apply full roundabout judgement - approach speed, observation, positioning - to something that looks small enough to rush.
What to look out for
Treat the paint like an island
The painted centre works the same way a raised island would - your path curves around it, it doesn't cut through it.
Still a right-side check
Even for a short second exit, the key decision is the same as any roundabout: is anything coming from the right.
Key steps
- 1 Check mirrors, choose the correct approach position, and slow down early enough that you could stop if needed.
- 2 Look to the right for traffic already on the roundabout, and only continue once the gap is genuinely safe.
- 3 Steer around the painted centre marking rather than across it, keeping the movement smooth rather than sharp.
- 4 Leave on the second exit in good balance, then straighten up and build speed progressively on the new road.
Common mistakes
Cutting across the mini roundabout
Keep the car's path curving around the centre marking, not driving straight over it.
Rushing the check to the right
Slow down earlier so you have time to look, decide, and move without last-second hesitation.
Example scenarios
Illustrative, AI-generated examples - not real photographs.
Avoid
Highway Code
This lesson is a revision aid, not a replacement for The Highway Code.
Rule 184
On approach, use Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre at all stages, decide as early as possible which exit you need, give an appropriate signal (see Rule 186), and time your signals so as not to confuse other road users.
Read Rule 184 on GOV.UKRule 188
Approach mini-roundabouts in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles physically incapable of doing so. There is less room to manoeuvre and less time to signal.
Read Rule 188 on GOV.UK